Machine for cleaving slate-blocks and the like.



O. SUDRE. MACHINE FOB. OLEAVING SLATE BLOCKS AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1911.

1,084,827. Patented Jan. 20, 1914 Fig. 1

WWfnessPs fnvenzor COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPII $0.. WASHINGTON. n. :4

CHARLES SUDRE, OF RENAZE, FRANCE.

MACHINE FOR CLEAVING SLATE-BLOCKS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 20, 1 914.

Original application filed December 13, 1909, Serial No. 532,940. Divided and this application filed February To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES SUDRE, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Renaz, Department of Mayenne, in France, mining engineer, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cleaving Slate-Blocks and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a machine for cleaving slate blocks or the like designed to be used for carrying out the improved process for cleaving slate blocks as described and claimed in my application for U. S. A. Letters Patent filed on December 13, 1909 (Serial No. 532,940).

The machine essentially consists of a table with two elastic claws which grip the block and bring its middle below the knife end of a simple or multiple cleaving knife which acts upon the block preferably by means of repeated shocks for dividing the same into two equal parts.

The invention is hereinafter particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in its preferred form of execution.

Figure 1 represents the machine in elevation. Fig. 2 is a section on line A-B of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 1 are views which illustrate the knife support.

The machine is constructed as follows 2- On a frame 1 a table 2 is mounted upon which the previously prepared slate blocks are placed; a plank 3 is fixed below the table 2 and carries the bearings 4 in which a rod is mounted the two parts 5 and (3 of which are threaded in opposite directions and which further has a crank 7. On each of the threaded parts 5, 6 of said rod a nut S, 9 is mounted which through the medium of the connecting rods 10, 11 carry the claws which are destined to maintain. the slate block. The claws are composed of an iron plate 12 which is connected by means of springs 13 with a wood plate 1% covered with caoutchouc 15 or any other soft and elastic material, the slate block 16 being clamped in between the elastic faces, of the two claws. The vertical posts 17 which are mounted upon the table 2 serve as guides for the carriage upon which the knife supports are mounted and for the support which serves as guide for the cleaving knives. The carriage for the cleaving knives is prcf- Serial No. 609,702.

erably composed of two f 'amcs l8, 19 which are connected with one another by means of sleeves 20 adapted to slide on said vertical posts 17. This carriage is maintained by cables 21 which are guided over pulleys 22 and have countcrweights 23 attached to their free ends as illustrated; they could however be equilibrated in any other convenient manner. The knife or the knives 24. are arranged bctwecn two iron bars, 25, 26 which are pressed the one against the other by means of screw bolts 27 or can be arranged slidably between the two supports 28, 29 in any convenient manner.

The knife support can be situated and fixed at a suitable place and it is suspended between the two frames 18, 15) so that the position of the knives can be easily regulate'd.

The carriage which carries the knives presents a head 30 destined to receive the shocks from a ram hammer 31 which is suspended above it and adapted to be operated in any suitable manner and by any of the well known means.

In order to prevent deviations of the knives at the moment when they attack the block to be cleaved, a guide frame 32. is mounted upon the vertical posts 17 which is similar to the frame of carriage for the knife supports and the descending movement of which is limited by abutments 33 which can be properly adjusted and regulated. This frame 32 has two angle irons 34, 35 which are mounted by bolts on said guide frame and serve for either clamping in or guiding the knives during their descending motion.

The machine operates as follows: The slate block 16 to be cleaved after having previously been prepared is placed upon the table 2 between the clamping claws which are made to move toward each other by manipulating the crank so that they grip the slate block 16 and bring its middle under the knives 2d. I-lereupon the carriage which supports the knife or knives 24; is lowered until the knife or knives touch the stone and said knives are secured in their position by being clamped in between the two angle irons 34, 35 at some millimeters above their ends. After the knives have penetrated into the stone block for several millimeters, the abutments are secured at the height of the frame 32 and the angle irons 341, 35 are loosened by bolts so that the knives can move freely although they are securely guided, and the ram hammer is operated to strike upon the head 30 until the slate block has been completely cleaved at its middle. When the slate block has been cleaved, the crank 7 is turned back so that the stone is released, the knife carriage is lifted and one half of the stone is removed from the machine, the operations being continued for the other half of the stone until slabs of required thickness have been obtained.

It is obvious that the construction of the machine which has been hereinbefore described is given by way of example only, and that the accessory parts can be modified according to requirement, the various operations being effected mechanically or by hand.

I claim 1 1. The improved machine for cleaving slate blocks comprising in combination the usual frame and a table plate fixed in said frame, a plank arranged below said table plate, bearings carried by said plank, and a rod horizontally mounted in said bearings, threaded parts at each end of said rod the threads running in opposite directions, a nut on each of said threaded parts, claws fixed to said nuts and reaching over said table plate so that they grip the slate block and bring the same to the proper position, vertical posts mounted upon said table plate, a frame movably mounted upon said vertical posts, and means for counterweighting said frame, the knife support mounted in said frame, a head of said knife support and a ram hammer conveniently operated arranged over said head of the knife support, the cleaving knife clamped securely in said knife support, a second frame adjustably mounted on said vertical posts below the knife frame and abutments adjustably fixed on said posts for limiting the movement of said second frame, angle irons mounted by bolts upon said second frame destined to clamp in the knife during the beginning of the cleaving operation and to guide the same afterward, as described and shown and for the purpose set forth.

2. The improved machine for cleaving slate blocks comprising in combination the usual frame and a table plate fixed in said frame, a plank arranged below said table plate, bearings carried by said plank, a horizontal spindle mounted in said bearings, a crank for operating said spindle, threaded parts at each end of said spindle having their threads oppositely directed, a nut on each of the threaded parts, claws fixed to said nuts and reaching over said table plate, elastic plates on the gripping ends of said claws, vertical posts on the table plate, the knife frame movably mounted on said vertical posts, counterweight-s for equilibrating said knife frame, the knife support movably mounted in said frame so that it can be displaced during the cleaving of the block for pushing aside the cleaved parts, a head of the knife support and a ram hammer above said head, means for operating said ram hammer, the cleaving knives secured in said knife support, a second guide frame adjustably mounted on said vertical posts and adjustable abutments for securing said second frame in proper position with regard to the slate block, angle irons adjustably mounted on said second guide frame destined to clamp the knives in during the first attack of the slate block and to guide the same during the cleaving operation, substantially as described and shown and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES SUDRE.

Witnesses:

VICTOR MARENDOWSKI, BARTLEY F. Yos'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

